Road joint machine



'May 1, 1934. J. N. HELTZEI.

ROAD JOINT MACHINE Filed March 8, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 dtmmq y 1 J. N.HELTZEL ROAD JOINT MACHINE Filed March 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J.N.HELTZEL,

May 1, 1934. J. N. HELTZEL ROAD JOINT MACHINE Filed March 8, 1930 3Sheets-Sheet 3 J-N.HELT ET:

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Patented May 1, 1934 S'ATES rric 12 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in road joint machines andmore particularly refers to a machine operable to form a groove ortrough longitudinally in the plastic concrete of the roadway for thepurpose of forming a joint and to receive a joint strip or jointmaterial if desired.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved road joint machinedesigned to be manipulated or propelled by hand operation at the side ofthe roadway to the end that the freshly laid concrete will not beinterfered with and will not form an obstruction to the proper operationof the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved road jointmachine which may be trailed behind a finishing machine or other vehicleby the use of cables or appropriate device.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved road jointmachine in which provision is made for the adjustment of the device todifferent widths of roadway, and in which provision is also made for thesupport of the cutter in an operative or an inoperative position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will bedescribed more fully hereinafter and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims. 7

In the drawings in which like reference characters refer to like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view, with parts broken away and parts shown insection, of one form of improved road joint machine constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 33 also in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 shows the inverted position of the device illustrated in Fig. 4with the shaft shown in section.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view showing a further modified form of machine. 7

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal central sectional view taken on the line 7-7 inFig. 6 and Fig. 8 is a cross section taken on the line 8-8 also in Fig.6.

It will probably be convenient to refer first to Figures l and 5 onaccount of. the simplified showing and my preference for this embodimentof the invention.

At the outset, it' will be understood that an ordinary finishing machineis used to screed off the concrete after it has been deposited in thesubgrade by the transit mixers or trucks. The finishing machine will beequipped with the usual screed member operating on the side forms whichare indicated at 10 and between which the concrete is laid. Trailingimmediately in the rear of the finishing machine is a joint cuttingblade 11. I have illustrated this blade as a disk or circular cuttermounted on a shaft 12'which extends transversely of the roadway andpossesses sufiicient length to extend beyond both of the side forms 10.The projecting end portions of the shaft 12 are coupled to cables13'carrying hooks 14 which may be detachably connected with thefinishing machine. In this way the shaft 12 will be trailed after thefinishing machine, the blade 11 resting in the plastic concrete andforming a groove or trough 15as the machine proceeds. It will beunderstood that the finishing machine proceeds ahead and acts to screeddown the concrete when it is required that the finishing machine screedthe surface as usually is the case.

The cables 13 may be connected to the shaft 12 in any appropriatemanner; as by being secured in the eyes 16 carried by the sleeves 17which are freely mounted on the shaft 12 and confined at 'both ends bythe thrust collars 18, such collars being fixed to the shaft 12 in anyappropriate manner. The blade 11 is free to rotate on the shaft 12 andis supported against lateral movement by collars 19 at each sidethereof. The collars 19 are secured to the shaft as'by the use of setscrews 20 which will permit the collars and incidentally the disk 11 tobe shifted laterally along the shaft 12 to a desired position.

The shaft 12 is supported at its opposite end portions in sleeves 21,and the sleeves are carried by rollers or wheels 22 which run upon theside form 10. The Wheels 22 are preferably provided with'fianges at eachside of the form 10 in order to preserve the alignment of the machine.The sleeves 21 are held to the shaft by the use of set screws 23 or thelike. By loosening the set screws, the sleeves 21 may be adjustedaxially along the shaft 12 whereby to change the gage between the twowheels 22 and therefore provide for various widths of road. Solid linkmay be used instead of cable 13making a rigid connection to thefinishing machine or other vehicle permitting the apparatus to bereciprocated back and forth longitudinally of the roadway. I

Handles 24 are carried on' the sleeves 21 at opposite sides of each ofthe wheels 22 and in the normal operative position extend forwardly anddownwardly whereby the flanged rollers 25 carried by the forwardportions of the arms 24 may engage and roll upon the forms 10 in advanceof the wheels 22. The sleeves 21 also carry upstanding pairs of arms 26at opposite sides of the wheels 22 for the purpose of supporting flangedrollers 27 which may also engage the side forms 10 when the device isinverted as shown in Fig. 5.

In the use of this form of the invention, Fig. 4 shows the operativeposition of the parts, with the disk or cutting blade engaging in theplastic concrete and forming the groove 15. The wheels 22 and flangedrollers 25 engage on the side forms 10 in the act of advancing the blade11 through the concrete. This advancing movement may be imparted to themachine through the cables 13 from the finishing machine, or the hooks14 may be disconnected from the finishing machine and the device may beoperated by hand, resort for this purpose being had to the handles 24.In such case the operators will reciprocate the device longitudinally onthe side form, two operators being employed for this purpose, one ateach side of the roadway.

Fig. 5 shows the disk cutter 11 released from the concrete, which isaccomplished by reversing the handles 24, bringing both rollers 25 and27 in contact with the side forms 10. In this position the joint cuttingapparatus may be suspended above the surface of the roadway andtransported on the side forms by the rollers 25 and 27.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a cutting disk 11ais shown as carried by a spindle 28 supported in the forward end of arms29 having collars 30 affixed, as by set screws 31, to a shaft 32. Thisshaft 32 extends transversely of the roadway and on the sides of theforms 33. To the projecting ends of the shaft 32 may be coupled cables34 having hooks 35 by which it may be trailed after a finishing machine.Sleeves 36 telescope the opposite end portions of the shaft 32, suchsleeves 36 being affixed to the shaft 32 as by means of set screws 37.At their outer ends the sleeves 36 are journaled in the trucks 38, andthe trucks are supported upon the flanged wheel 39 adapted to travelupon the side forms 33. Levers 40 are fixed at the outer ends of thesleeves 36 of the trucks 38, and carry latches 41 for cooperating withtwo toothed segments 42 whereby to hold the levers 40 in adjustedangular position.

By shifting the levers 40, a partial rotary movement may be communicatedto the sleeves 36 and to the shaft 32 for the purpose of raising andlowering the cutting disk 1111. In this way the disk 11a may be loweredto an operative position in contact with the plastic concrete or it maybe raised up to an inoperative position clear of the concrete. By use ofthe levers 40, a chopping action of the disk in the concrete may also beeffected. Such procedure will be desirable when the concrete becomes toohard. By loosening the set screws 37, the sleeve 36 may be adjustedaxially along the shaft 32 for the purpose of widening or narrowing thegage between the trucks to accommodate different widths of roadway.Freely rotatable upon the sleeves 36 are tubular shafts 43 havinglongitudinal grooves 44 therein to receive the keys 45 carried withincollars 46 which are slidable axially along the tubular shafts 43. Theouter ends of yoke arms 47 are connected to the collars 46. Centrally ofthe machine, the yoke arms 47 are joined to a support 48 for a groovingtool 49. The support 48 at its forward end is coupled to a collar 50freely rotatable on the shafts 32 between the collars 30 for thegrooving tool or disk 11a. The outer ends of the tubular shaft 43, whichterminate inside of the truck 38, are affixed to levers 51 which arealso provided with latches for cooperating with the toothed quadrants52. The quadrants are carried by the truck frames 38.

In the operation of this form of the machine, it will be understood thatthe grooving tool 11a will move in advance of the grooving tool 49. Itwill furthermore be understood that the disk cutter 11a may be usedwithout the grooving tool; or likewise the grooving tool 49 may beemployed without the disk cutter 11a. The grooving tool is manipulatedin and out of the concrete by the levers 51 operating through thetubular shafts 43 upon the yoke arms 47 and the support 48. The groovingtool 49 may also be manipulated up and down, producing a chopping actionin the concrete, particularly where the concrete becomes too hard.

After the groove in the concrete has been prepared, it is desirable insome cases to install joint strips, which may either remain permanentlyin the concrete or may be removed later and the joint filled withsuitable filler. To accomplish this, I provide the device shown in Figs.6, 7 and 8.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I provide a travelingbridge consisting preferably of transverse I beams connected bylongitudinal sills 54 and 55. The sills 54 and 55 carry between them thegrooved or flanged wheels 56 for operating upon the side forms 57.

A workmans platform 58 is carried in the transverse I beams 53, and, asshown in Fig. 8. a reinforcing member 59 projects down from the bottomof the platform into the plastic concrete to serve as a guide for thepurpose of guiding and aligning the joint strip indicated at 60. Theplatform is arranged for vertical adjustment up and down whereby thereinforcing member 59 may be moved in and out of the concrete. Thisaction may be secured by the use of adjusting screws 61 rotatablyattached at their lower ends to the platform 58 and having threadedengagement with the upper portions of housings or yokes 62. Guides 63carried by the platform 58 are slidable vertically in guideways providedin the sides of the housings or yokes 62. The housings or yokes 62 aresupported by rollers 64 which engage in the troughs of the I beams asindicated in Fig. 7.

Hand wheels 65 may be provided upon the upper ends of the adjustingscrews 61 above the housings or yokes 62 for convenience in adjustmentof the platform and reinforcing member. It will be appreciated that theplatform 58 and the reinforcing member 59 constitute a unitarycombination economically constructed to install and align the joint.

By reason of the rollers 64 being movable in the I beams 63, theplatform 58 is permitted a transverse adjustment across the roadway inorder to bring the reinforcing member 59 to a correct po sition withregard to the joint groove, prepared by the disc cutter, moving over theroadway by the finishing machine. Spacing members or shafts 66 arefreely slidable in bearings 67 carried by the inner longitudinal sill 55at one side of the machine. Coupled between the inner ends of thespacing members 67 and the platform 58 are turnbuckles 68 or otherappropriate adjusting means whereby the length of the spacing membersmay be adjusted.

The outer ends of the spacing members 66 carry flanged rollers 69 whichrotate on spacing member 66 but rollers 69 do not shift laterally on themembers 66, and rollers 69 travel upon the side form 5'7. Now it will beunderstood that the supporting rollers or wheels 56 for the travelingbridge or carriage are rotatably supported upon elongated shafts mountedbetween the sills 54 and 55. These wheels 56 have a free movement overthe longitudinal shafts 70 so that the traveling bridge or carriage mayhave a free and unrestricted lateral movement, or in other Words thewheels 56 may be slid in and out on the shafts 7G to accommodateroadways of various widths and to enable the wheels 56 to engage theupper tread surfaces of the side forms 57 which may be situated atvarious distances apart.

The turnbuckle 68 may be manipulated to either lengthen or shorten theadjusting members or shafts 66. This adjusting movement of theturnbuckle 68 is also necessary in order to bring the platform 58 to acorrect central position whereby the reinforcing member 59 may engage inthe joint groove of the concrete roadway produced by a cutter disc inadvance as described. Produced by a cutter in advance of this machine asis sometimes the general practice. However, this apparatus may be usedfor installing joints in plastic concrete without preparing a groove inadvance, provided the material is of the proper consistency.

The shafts 66 thus have free longitudinal movement through the bearings67 so as to permit the carriage, which is supported upon the wheels 56,to be unrestricted as to lateral movement. At the same time, theplatform 58 may remain in a fixed spaced position, it being noted thatwhen the main carriage shifts laterally of the roadway, the rollers 64will rotate in the I beams 53 and therefore there will be no restrictionto the lateral movement of the beams 53 of the carriage. Therefore, thewheels 56 of the main carriage do not act as spacers and may have moreor less free lateral movement, which will not affect gaging of theplatform 58 to which the joint aligning blade 59 is attached.

The carriage may be provided with a hand propelling wheel '71 havingbearings 72 in the sills 54 and 55. The shaft of the hand wheel '71,which shaft is indicated at '74, is provided with a sprocket 73, shownin Fig. 7. This sprocket '73 engages a chain '75 which further extendsabout the sprockets 76 on the shaft 70 of the wheel 56 at one side ofthe machine.

In the use of this form of the invention, the traveling carriage ispropelled along the side forms by rotating the hand wheel '71. Thecarriage may be laterally adjusted as indicated, and the platform 58 mayalso be shifted laterally in the I beams 53, the adjustment being hadthrough the turnbuckles 68.

In this way the reinforcing member 59 is brought to correct alignmentwith the groove in the concrete roadway in which it is desired to insertthe joint strip 60. The reinforcing strip 59 will act as a guide for thestrip 60 and will admit of the same being correctly and quickly placed.

If desired, the machine may be trailed by a finishing machine well-knownin the art-that is, it may be trailed continuously or alternately as maybe desired.

If desired, the machine may be trailed intermittently rearwardly of afinishing machine.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An improved road joint machine comprising a cutting tool, a shaft forsupporting said tool, wheels adjustable along said shaft and adapted totravel the side forms of the roadway, and means connected to said shaftwhereby the tool may be drawnalong trailing a finishing machine.

2. An improved road joint machine comprising a cutting tool, a shaft forthe cutting tool,

wheels connected to said shaft for traveling upon the side forms 'of theroadway with the cutting tool engaging in the concrete, and meanswhereby the shaft may be supported for rolling movement along the formswith the cutting tool out of the concrete.

3. An improved road joint machine comprising a cutting tool, a shafttherefor, flanged wheels axially adjustable along said shaft and fortraveling along the tread surfaces of the side forms of the roadway, androllers associated with said wheels and adapted to engage the forms forholding the cutting tool out of contact with the concrete.

4. An improved road joint machine comprising a cutting tool, a shaft forthe cutting tool, means supporting said shaft and adapted to move alongthe side forms of the roadway, rollers also adapted to engage the sideforms of the roadway for holding the wheels suspended and the cutter outof contact with the concrete, and means associated with said rollers forpermitting of the hand manipulation of the tool.

5. An improved road joint machine comprising a cutting tool, a shaft forthe cutting tool, means whereby the cutting tool may be adjusted alongthe shaft, supports for the shaft adapted to move along the side formsof the roadway with the cutting tool in operative contact with theconcrete, and other normally inactive supports for the shaft adapted tohold the cutting tool out of contact with the concrete.

6. An improved road joint machine comprising a shaft extendingtransversely of the roadway, means for supporting said shaft for rollingmovement longitudinally of the roadway, a cutting tool supported by saidshaft, means for rotating the shaft to raise and lower the cutting tool,a grooving tool also carried loosely by said shaft, and means forraising and lowering said grooving tool.

7. An improved road joint machine comprising a shaft extendingtransversely of the roadway, trucks for supporting said shaft forrolling movement upon the side forms of the roadway, the ends of theshaft extending beyond said trucks, connections to the extending ends ofthe shaft whereby the machine may be drawn along trailing a finishingmachine, a cutting tool fixedly carried by said shaft, and means foroscillating said shaft to raise and lower the cutting tool.

8. An improved road joint machine comprising a shaft extendingtransversely of the roadway, trucks carrying said shaft upon the sideforms of the roadway, arms affixed to said shaft, a cutting tool carriedby said arm, tubular shafts extending about the firstnamed shaft, agrooving tool following said cutting tool, a yoke longitudinallyslidable on said tubular shaft but compelled to: rotate with saidtubular shafts, and independently adjustable means coupled to saidfirstnamed shaft and to the tubular shafts for rocking the same to movethe cutting and grooving tools into and out of the concrete.

9. A joint cutting apparatus, comprising a transverse member spanning aroad under construction, means associated at ends of said mefnber toengage sideforms to support the apparatus for longitudinal movement overthe road, a cutting disc associated with the first member substantiallyin center of the road, to operate in plastic concrete to produce aseparation therein, a blade to follow in the cleft to produce a furtherseparation, and means for movement of the apparatus over the roadway.10. In a device of the character described, a joint cutting blade, atransverse support for the blade, wheels sustaining the support andadapted to roll along the side forms while the blade is in joint cuttingengagement with the concrete, and rollers carried by said support in thesame plane with and beyond the peripher? of said wheels for rollingalong the side forms to sustain the blade out of contact with theconcrete.

11. In a device of the character described, a joint cutting disc, atransverse shaft along which the disc is adjustable, sleeves adjustablyattached to the end portions of the shaft, wheels on the sleeves forrolling on the sideforms with the disc adjusted to penetrate theconcrete, handles attached to the sleeves, arms also attached to thesleeves and angularly displaced from the handles, and flanged rollers inthe handles and arms adapted to roll along the side forms when thedevice is inverted with the disc suspended out of contact with theconcrete.

12. In a device of the character described, joint cutting means, atransverse support for said means, wheels carrying the support with thecutting means penetrating into the concrete when the wheels are placedon the side forms, and carrying devices for supporting the wheels out ofcontact with the side forms and holding the cutting means out ofengagement with the concrete.

JOHN N. HELTZEL.

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